Published by Douglas Messerli, the World Cinema Review features full-length reviews on film from the beginning of the industry to the present day, but the primary focus is on films of intelligence and cinematic quality, with an eye to exposing its readers to the best works in international film history.

Friday, May 26, 2017

Zaza Urushadze | მანდარინები (Mandariinid) Tangerines

Estonian
director Zaza Urushadze’s 2013 movie Tangerines
(released in the US in 2015) is the kind of feel-good movie that international
audiences love. Despite the violent clashes that the film depicts, focusing on
the Russian-Georgian battles in the break-off region, Abkhazia, of the newly independentGeorgia, this movie— through
the gentle ministrations of Estonian farmer Ivo (Lembit Ulfsak) and his
neighbor Margus (Elmo Nüganen)—brings together two warring enemies who learn
to, at least, respect one another and who, by film’s end, are even willing to
fight for one another’s survival.

If the film’s final premise is rather
unbelievable, given what we’ve seen in other such battles—in the former
Yugoslavia and currently in Ukraine—Tangerines
almost makes it credible given the
warm portrayal of Ivo, whose Estonian family has left the war-torn region, but
who himself continues to live on, for reasons never explained, in the
battlefield. All he and his friend Margus want to do is to pick the tangerines
and box them, in crates made by Ivo, hoping to get them to market before the
war strikes their own small homes.

Unfortunately, in the very first scene of
the film, we realize that their efforts have come too late, when two Chechen
mercenaries show up at Ivo’s door, demanding food. He feeds them good bread and
cheese, and they leave him in peace, while warming him that not all the rebels
will be so friendly. Yet hardly have they left his doorstep than their vehicle
is attacked by Georgians. One of the Chechens is left dead, while it appears
all of the Georgians have been killed.

Ivo takes in the wounded Ahmed (Giorgi
Nakhashidze), and begins to bury the dead Georgians with Margus, only to
discover that one of the Georgians is still living, although seriously hurt.

Taking in the Georgian victim, Nika
(Mikhail Meskhi) as well, the men call their local doctor who does his best for
the badly wounded soldier.

Made aware of an enemy in the same
house, Ahmed insists he will kill Nika as soon as he can again walk; but Ivo locks him away while
nursing Nika to better health, demanding that they cannot kill one another
within his house.

At first the pair, quite obviously, are
wary of one another, distrusting one another’s every move. But at dinners and
suppers Ivo asks them personal questions which make it clear that both of the
soldiers have similar reasons for being involved in a war in which they are not
directly connected. Slowly, a kind of bond begins to grow between the two,
particularly on account of the gentle kindness offered them by Ivo, despite
their individual prejudices.

Yet the war will not leave anyone alone.
In one onslaught, Margus’ home and orchard is completely destroyed, and Ahmed
offers him a large wad of money in payment for the bombing, which Margus
refuses to accept.

Soon after, Russians show up on Ivo’s
doorstep. Knowing that he will be immediately killed if they discover he is
hiding a Georgian within, he demands they both pretend they are Chechen. Amazingly,
Ahmed goes along with it, claiming that Nika is also a mercenary, whose
injuries have made it impossible for him to speak. Yet the Russians ultimately
refuse to believe that Ahmed is Chechen, and intend to arrest him. Seeing Ahmed
about to be taken off, Nika grabs his rifle and shoots at the Russians; but in
the shoot-out Margus and Nika both are killed as well as the Russians.

With Ahmed, Ivo buries them both next to
his son, who was killed a few years earlier—perhaps a hint of why he has
refused to leave the territory with other Estonians. He tells Ahmed that had he
been the one to die, he would been buried next to his son. And Ahmed determines
to leave the warzone, returning home to Checken, surely to face another war
there two years later.